Not much new spending for Ottawa in new budget

Good morning!

I do hate talking too much about the weather up here, but I have some bad news. We’re expecting 5-10 cm of snow tomorrow, which will then turn to rain, according to Environment Canada. It’s a reminder that while winter is technically over, nice days in March are nature’s dirty tricks. At least it’s light into the evening!

Anyway, today we’ve got news about the provincial budget and what it does (or doesn’t) do for the city. Plus more info on Joe Biden’s visit to the city.

Let’s get to it.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

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Weather Report

Special Weather Statement

Friday: +3 🌡️ -8 | ❄️

Saturday: +1 🌡️ +1 | ❄️

Sunday: +4 🌡️ -6 | 🌧/❄️

Monday: +5 🌡️ -7 | ☀️

BUDGET

Ontario budget nearly in balance, while Ottawa’s budget teeters

What happened: The provincial government tabled a budget oh so close to balanced this year, with a deficit of only $1.3 billion, The Canadian Press reported. By next year, the government expects to have a surplus of $200 million. Inflation has been pushing up tax revenues, meaning the government is well ahead of its plan to balance the budget years down the road.

Left out: Ottawa’s request for money to make up for COVID shortfalls to its transit budget went unanswered, CBC reported. Last year, OC Transpo had a deficit of $85 million, and expects to be short another $39 million this year. Also left out was any money for derecho expenses or convoy protest expenses, worth $50 million and $37 million respectively.

Housing: The province is already falling behind on its goal to build 1.5 million homes by 2032. They estimate over the next three years there will only be 80,000 homes built across the province each year, a little more than half of the necessary 150,000 homes per year required, CBC reported.

Money for homelessness: The province will be providing $200 million in new money for cities to combat homelessness across the province.

• Ottawa’s share will be about $14 million, though numbers for individual cities have not been announced.

Bad news for cities: Last year when the government passed Bill 23, it prevented cities from charging development fees for all sorts of housing construction. At the time it said it would eventually make cites whole for that loss in revenue. There is no money in the new budget to make up for those changes, according to CBC.

• There is some hope that the province will announce more money for cities next week in conjunction with the federal government, who will be unveiling their own budget.

OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

💰 $204.7 billion: The total size of the provincial budget, the largest ever total. [CTV]

🏥 $81 billion: The amount the provincial government is spending on healthcare in the new budget. [CTV]

📅 4 days: The length of a school week two French Catholic schools will try in a pilot project this fall. [CTV]

PRESIDENTIAL VISIT

Joe Biden touches down in Ottawa

What happened: US President Joe Biden arrived in town yesterday evening. Biden will leave tonight after addressing Parliament later today. It’s his first visit as president, though he previously visited the city during his tenure as vice president.

Traffic closures: There will be numerous closures downtown today. Sections of Wellington, Rideau, Elgin, Mackenzie, Colonel By and Sussex will stay closed until about 11pm tonight.

There will be other temporary closures downtown, as well as routes leading to and from the airport. There are also numerous parking restrictions in effect. See the city’s website for a full list of what roads are closed when. For security reasons, the timing of certain closures will only be communicated at the last minute, the city said.

• Buses downtown may be diverted, but LRT service is expected to run as normal.

Flyovers: At times there is likely to be military aircraft above the city. CF-18 Hornet fighters and CH146-Griffon helicopters are likely to be in the sky during the visit, the federal government announced.

THE AGENDA

🥅 Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said LeBreton Flats isn’t the only possible location for a new Sens arena, and listed the Coventry baseball stadium and Bayview Yards as possible other locations in a radio interview. He also said he’s not in favour of using city money for a new rink, but he wouldn’t rule it out. [CTV]

🏥 The Ottawa Hospital said a pilot project letting for-profit orthopedic surgeons use its operating rooms is “just the beginning,” and plans a new facility to expand into other areas of medicine. [CBC]

🚍 Already struggling with frequent bus cancellations, OC Transpo is warning transit users it does not send unmarked rideshares to bus stops after a woman reported being approached by a man in a black sedan. [CTV]

💐 A refugee mother said her two-year-old son would still be alive if her family of five children had not been placed at an unsanitary motel by the city. The child contracted multiple infections and CHEO said his death was at least partly to blame on the living conditions. [CBC]

🥼 Follow along a day in the life of a Manotick doctor, as he drowns under an ocean of paperwork trying to keep up with all of his patients. [CBC]

🤧 The province will let the temporary three COVID sick days reimbursed by the government expire at the end of the month. Some pandemic measures in long-term care homes like mandatory testing will end, as will outdoor masking requirements. [CTV]

🩺 A Kingston medical clinic is losing six doctors to retirement. Some 8,000 patients will be left without a doctor in a city already low on physicians. [CBC]

🚧 It looks like Wellington Street will not open until April or May while the city completes rehab work, adds bike infrastructure, and re-erects traffic lights. [CTV]

🧱 The city and the NCC have come to a deal to allow embassies to be built in Mechanicsville in the west end. About a quarter of the land will now be reserved for parkland. [CBC]

🚨 A 74-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed by a driver in Chelsea Wednesday evening. [CTV]

💰 Here’s what Outaouais residents need to know about the Quebec budget. [CBC]

⚠️ A new toxic animal tranquillizer, xylazine, has entered the country’s illicit drug supply that can cause wounds that require amputation. [CBC]

EVENTS

Your weekend guide

Music

🎶 uOttawa Opera, A Midsummer Night’s Fairy Tale, Friday and Saturday: An operatic collage performance of Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen and Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At Huguette Labelle Hall, 550 Cumberland St. Tickets start at $11.

🎤 Dance Mix ‘99 90s Dance Party, Saturday 9 pm: Dance the night away with DJ Phuzz and DJ Miami with the best of late-90s pop. At House of Targ, 1077 Bank St. Tickets $11.

Sports

🤼‍♂️ C*4 Wrestling presents "EXTREME PREJUDICE," Tonight 7:30 pm: Wrestling, baby. Plenty of returning favourites and a few new faces. At the Preston Event Centre, 523 Saint Anthony St. Tickets $33.

Food

🧀 Beer and Cheese Tasting, Sunday 1 pm: An afternoon trying Ontario craft beer alongside local cheeses. At Petit Bill’s Bistro, 1293 Wellington St. W. Tickets $32.

Kids/Family

🍁 Sugarbush On The Farm, all weekend: Maple season is still kicking at the Log Farm, 670 Cedarview Rd. Tickets $12.

General

🪴 Ottawa Home and Garden Show, until Sunday: Exhibitors of everything you could want for your home. From construction and electronics to kitchen and appliances. Indoors and out, it’s gat it all. At the EY Centre, 4899 Uplands Dr. Tickets $14.

Film

📽️ Ottawa Black Film Festival, Friday to Sunday: In-person and online events with 40 films and live panels celebrating black film making. Most events at Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins, 333 King Edward Ave. All-access in-person pass $59.

Other

🍎 Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop, Saturday 1pm: Laura from Fine Lines Landscape and Designs leads this guided tour on how to safely care for your fruit trees. Near the Nepean Ikea (contact them for a more precise address). Tickets $51.

CAPITAL EATS

What happened this week in food

Every week our team at Capital Eats scours Ottawa for the best places to eat, drinks to try and events to attend. Here’s a breakdown of all the biggest stories.

🍽️ Our food editor Ralf shares some of his biggest surprises and early favourites from the year so far, including incredible house made noodles, where to find some fantastic spicy clams, and a bar with food and drinks that delighted.

🍝 For Insiders, what makes the owner of two of Ottawa’s best Italian restaurants tick? Our food editor sat down with him to find out why quality and care are key ingredients to success.

📖 Also for Insiders, we’ve got an exclusive recipe for squash rasam from Coconut Lagoon chef Joe Thottungal’s new cookbook My Thali. (Scroll past the interview!)

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• The Sens signed 21-year-old defenceman Tyle Kleven to an entry-level contract. [CTV]

• Local art is always lovely, like this watercolour of Patterson’s Creek Park by FellAlp. [Reddit]

• Zellers officially returned to Ottawa with a store-within-a-store at The Bay this week. [CTV]

• There will be new routes for Race Weekend this year for all three races. [Reddit]

• The folks at CTV got a behind the scenes tour of the new Aladdin musical playing at the NAC. [CTV]

• If you were supposed to have a car seat and other luggage delivered by WestJet this week and it didn’t show up, this person may have got it in error. [Reddit]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Contact our partnership team for more info.

TOP PHOTO

Reader Julia Mountford sent in these two great photos of a pair of cardinals. “Nature’s beauty in my backyard!” she said.

Do you have a photo you’d like to share with the Lookout community? Send it in!

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to Andi, Adam, Jeff, Shireen, Gord, Chelsea, and Maureen who all knew this week’s Ottawa Guesser was at the corner of Eagleson and Hazeldean/Robertson.

Do you think you can get this week’s Ottawa Wordle? Play now.

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